Recent searches
Search options
#ClimateChangeGardening #gardening #FoodSecurity #bloomscrolling #plants #fruit #GrowYourOwn #jardin
White sapote, Casimiroa edulis 
TL;DR
-pest resistant
-can fruit in large pot
-bring indoors when temps go below 27F
-same nutritional/water needs as citrus
-“Suebelle” cultivar can flower/fruit more than once a year
-tasty fruit
-toxic seeds
The tree is native to eastern Mexico and Central America. “Sapote” comes from the Nahuatl word, “tzapotl” meaning soft, edible fruit. The Nahuatl word for white sapote is “cochiztzapotl” which translates to “sleep-producing sapote.”
Its leaves, bark and seeds were/are used medicinally as sedatives. The seeds are toxic and eating many all at once will make you go to sleep permanently.
If this worries you, the seeds are actually quite large and it would be difficult/uncomfortable to swallow.
It used to be cultivated in California up until the 1950’s but since the fruit doesn’t have a long shelf-life, the orchards got swapped out with citrus and almonds.
You can still find them growing wild around CA and as novelty produce at farmers markets.
If you’re curious to try the fruit, there are backyard vendors as well as specialty farms who will ship fruit to you.
I’ve grown white sapote since the start of Covid and no pests have attacked it. Online searches says it can get scale and aphids but they have never been a problem for me.
It is sensitive to temperatures below 27F but the tree will grow and fruit in a pot to drag indoors in winter. Mine stays out almost all year with a week or two in the garage during cold snaps.
The tree can get root rot so it’s essential the soil be well-draining.
I grow mine in a 25g pot with very well-draining mulchy soil (added mulch in with potting soil) with around 15% coarse garden sand, 10% perlite with rocks in the bottom of the pot.
It is related to citrus and has the same nutritional and water needs (loves nitrogen, iron and doesn’t want to be overwatered).
I rarely water it except in the hottest summer months as rainfall here seems to be enough.
The flavor, quality and yield are dependent on the tree’s genetics. Not all of white sapotes are very good if they’re are weedy/wild grown. And not all of white sapote cultivars are self-fertile.
Also white sapote generally flower once a year in winter. Some cultivars can re-flower in off-season.
“Suebelle” is a cultivar that can flower/fruit multiple times a year as a mature tree, has high quality fruits and is self-fertile.
Good white sapote fruits taste like creme brûlée with banana and vanilla. It has a creamy-pear-ish consistency.
My tree is a seedling from a self-fertilized “Suebelle.” It started flowering at 3y but hasn’t held onto fruit yet. Last year, the developing fruit got knocked off in heavy rains/hail. Hopefully this is its year.
I got the 3 month old seedling for $12 bc at the time grafted trees were price-gouged bc of Covid. I figured I could graft mature branches on it but it grew so fast and started flowering so young I didn’t bother.
Guess we’ll see what happens.
Since they’re primarily a winter-flowering tree, I companion planted crocuses to attract more pollinators. So far I’ve seen sweat bees and other small insects at the flowers.
The primary qualities of white sapote for food security in a changing climate:
-tolerates Central American summer heat
-drought tolerant
-pest resistant
-Certain cultivars produce fruit at different times of the year / not seasonally dependent.
The fruit has a short shelf-life so these benefits would only be for personal or locally grown produce.